Some of the CONTENTS of the diplomatic cables caused harm to relationships: --- THE UNSAID lost its status as it was looked at the leaked cables by U.S.'s counterparts, revealing stuff the U.S. diplomats had never said bluntly to them, now causing shock and indignation in bilateral relations.

In the case of Mexico, the relationship of Mexican president Felipe Calderon with the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, suffered so much that Pascual choose to resign.

President "Calderon said he was particularly perturbed by comments he interpreted as implying 'Mexican soldiers aren't brave enough'... Mr. Calderon... made clear for weeks that he believed Mr.Pascual should be recalled (situation not seen in the bilateral relationship for almost a Century )... The American Ambassador to Libya, Gene Cretz, was withdrawn ... after cables were published in which he detailed idiosyncrasies of the Lybian leader, Col. Muammar el-Qadaffi".

Vave, Damien, Envoy Quits Over Cables on Mexico, The New York Times, March 19, 2011.

Besides, analysis on the imperialistic actions of the U.S. was published and it tarnished its international image when providing abundant proof, in form of quotations from the contents of the diplomatic leaked cables.

The Sydney Morning Herald wrote: “The whole weighty book (The Wikileaks Files) is a missile aimed at... revealing... (the) motivations (of) US diplomacy”.

In the opinion of Publishers Weekly the book "delivers a thorough introduction to the narratives of US policy that the cables reveal".

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Bob Gates, said in 2010: “I’ve heard the impact of these releases on our foreign policy described as a meltdown, as a game-changer and so on ... Is this embarrassing? Yes. Is it awkward? Yes."

Assange, Julian, et al, THE WIKILEAKS FILES: The World According to US Empire, Verso, reprinted, September 20, 2016.

Source author: Eric Suzán Reed esuzan@sre.gob.mx